Jill works with children (beginning at age 5), adolescents, and adults, specializing in using Art Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in her treatment. Anyone can engage in art therapy, no matter the level of artistic skills or abilities. Jill works with individuals to help them best use creative expression to further enhance their therapeutic journey. Art therapy allows one to go beyond the power of verbal words. Jill has provided mental health treatment to members of a refugee population where language posed a barrier, with at-risk children in school settings, with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and severe emotional impairments in a Day School setting, and in-patient psychiatric settings serving children, teens and adults.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Jill earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Adrian College (Adrian, MI), and her Masters in Counseling and Art Therapy from Adler University (Chicago), studied at Universidad del Belgrano (Buenos Aires, Argentina), and has received training in Play Therapy (using a Reality Therapy philosophical foundation), and training in utilizing Art Therapy in treating grief and loss. Jill has developed expertise in using art therapy in treating individuals in group settings. Jill is a fully licensed professional counselor in the State of Michigan and is a nationally registered art therapist through the Art Therapy Certification Board.
A BIT ABOUT JILL
Jill’s foundational approach to treatment draws from psychologist Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology, which employs a holistic view of development and believes that behavior is purposeful and goal-directed to meet needs. Jill integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Art Therapy to assist patients in exploring both the conscious and sub-conscious behavioral motivations. Jill believes that therapy can assist individuals in in re-directing misguided behavior and that art therapy can be effective in increasing self-awareness, effective coping abilities, self-expression, and in overall improvement in psychological well-being.